Wendelin Joseph Nold

American prelate

The Most Reverend Wendelin Joseph Nold
Bishop of Galveston-Houston
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Galveston-Houston
In office	April 1, 1950 - April 22, 1975
Predecessor	Christopher Edward Byrne
Successor	John Louis Morkovsky
Other post(s)	Coadjutor Bishop of Galveston 1948–1950
Orders
Ordination	April 11, 1925
Consecration	February 25, 1948 by Joseph Patrick Lynch, Christopher Edward Byrne, and Augustine Danglmayr
Personal details
Born	(1900-01-18)January 18, 1900 Bonham, Texas, US
Died	October 1, 1981(1981-10-01) (aged 81) Houston, Texas, US
Education	Saint Mary's Seminary Pontifical North American College
Motto	Serviam

Styles of Wendelin Joseph Nold

Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Wendelin Joseph Nold (January 18, 1900 – October 1, 1981) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas from 1950 to 1975.

Biography

Early life

Wendelin Nold was born in Bonham, Texas, to Wendelin Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (née Charles) Nold.^[1] After attending parochial schools in Cleburne and Fort Worth, he studied at St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1921.^[1] He then furthered his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and there earned a doctorate in sacred theology in 1925.^[1]

Priesthood

While in Rome, Nold was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas on April 11, 1925.^[2] Upon his return to Texas, Nold served as a curate at Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Dallas, and became the first pastor of Christ the King Parish in Dallas in 1941.^[1] In addition to his pastoral duties, he also served in the chancery as a consultor, synodal judge, synodal examiner, director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and director of Catholic Action.^[1] He was raised to the ranks of papal chamberlain in 1936, domestic prelate in 1942, and prothonotary apostolic in 1946.^[1]

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Galveston-Houston

On November 29, 1947, Nold was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of what was then the Diocese of Galveston and titular bishop of Sasima by Pope Pius XII.^[2] He received his episcopal consecration on February 25, 1948, from Bishop Joseph Lynch, with Bishops Christopher Byrne and Augustine Danglmayr serving as co-consecrators.^[2] After the death of Bishop Byrne on April 1, 1950, Nold automatically became the fifth bishop of Galveston.^[2] He was the first native Texan to hold that office.^[3]

Due to the tremendous growth in the City of Houston, the Vatican allowed Nold in 1959 to designate Sacred Heart Church in Houston as a co-cathedral. The diocese now had two cathedrals: Sacred Heart Cathedral in Houston and St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston.^[4] The Vatican renamed the diocese as the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on July 25, 1959.^[5]

In 1959, Nold suffered a heart attack. Around that same time, he started suffering from kidney disease. In September 1961, Nold ordered that all Catholic schools in the diocese be racially integrated.^[1] During a hospitalization in 1963, he went blind. Later that year the Vatican appointed Bishop John Morkovsky in 1963 as coadjutor bishop, in charge of administering the diocese.^[3] Nold attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. During his tenure he established forty-seven parishes and fourteen missions, as well as several schools.^[1]

Retirement and legacy

On April 22, 1975, Pope Paul VI accepted Nold's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston.^[2] Nold died in Houston on October 1, 1981, at age 81.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "NOLD, WENDELIN J. (1900–1981)". Handbook of Texas Online.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Bishop Wendelin Joseph Nold". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}
^ ^a ^b "History of the Archdiocese". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
^ AMERICAN CATHOLICS/Bishops celebrate 200th birthday
^ "Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}

External links

Nold, Bishop Wendelin and David Courtwright. Bishop Wendelin Nold Oral History, Houston Oral History Project, August 20, 1975.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Christopher Edward Byrne	Bishop of Galveston-Houston 1950–1975	Succeeded by John Louis Morkovsky

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston

Ordinaries

Prefect Apostolic of Texas: John Timon

Vicar Apostolic of Texas: Jean-Marie Odin

Bishops of Galveston: Jean-Marie Odin; Claude Marie Dubuis; Nicolaus Aloysius Gallagher; Christopher Edward Byrne; Wendelin Joseph Nold

Coadjutor bishop (did not succeed to the See): Pierre Dufal

Bishops of Galveston–Houston: Wendelin Joseph Nold; John Louis Morkovsky

Archbishops of Galveston–Houston: Joseph Fiorenza; Daniel DiNardo

Auxiliaries: John E. McCarthy; Enrique San Pedro; Curtis J. Guillory; James Anthony Tamayo; Vincent M. Rizzotto; Joe S. Vásquez; George Sheltz; Italo Dell’Oro

Priests who became bishops: John E. McCarthy

Priests: Ryan Stawaisz; David Michael Moses

Churches

Co-cathedrals: St. Mary Cathedral Basilica, Galveston (Bishop's Palace, Galveston); Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Houston

Historic parishes: All Saints Church, Houston; Annunciation Church, Houston; Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Houston; Our Mother of Mercy Church, Houston; St. Joseph's Church, Galveston

Education

Universities: Our Lady of the Lake University, Houston; University of St. Thomas, Houston

High schools, K-12: Duchesne Academy, Houston

High schools, 9-12: Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston; Frassati Catholic High School, Harris County (Spring area); Incarnate Word Academy, Houston; O'Connell College Preparatory School, Galveston; Pope John XXIII High School, Harris County (Katy area); Saint Agnes Academy, Houston; St. Pius X High School, Houston; St. Thomas High School, Houston; Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Houston